World youth day message from youth alliance for development

It is yet another year when the whole world celebrates young people on the 12th August. Youth Alliance for Development which is determined in championing youth development celebrates this day with other young people in Ghana and around the world. As we celebrate this important day, Youth Alliance believes that issues bothering on young people in this country have not been given the necessary attention and the priority they demand. Most Ghanaian youths including university graduates are still not able to find suitable economic activities to engage in, rendering them unemployed.

It is in the view of Youth Alliance that government and other stakeholders consider a long term road map in addressing youth unemployment in Ghana since the short term and piece meal strategies appear not to be working in the favour of the youth. We call for an overhauling of the country’s educational system and placing emphases on Vocational and Technical Education, Entrepreneurship and Critical thinking which have a potential of making our learners self sustained after school.

Whilst we commend government for making efforts to accommodate students who completed SHS this year into tertiary institutions, we have in recent times observed the unpatriotic behavior of some persons who siphon money from innocent students who seek admission into nursing and teacher training colleges before they are offered admission. The situation is becoming a norm and is eating deeply into other areas in the educational sector. We are drawing the attention of the government and all interested stakeholders to curb this bad attitude in the bud since it has a potential for disadvantaging the poor. We implore the government to be open and transparent in this year’s admission.

We are furthermore appalled by the decision of government to impose taxes on private universities at a time when public tertiary institutions are struggling to absorb students who completed school this year. Youth Alliance calls on the government to take a second look at its decision since it has serious implications for students.

We appeal to all Ghanaian youth not to allow themselves to be used as instrument of violence after the Supreme Court verdict on the 2012 election petition. We call on the youth to ignore any politician who approach them for violent purposes. We are at the same time appealing to the security personnel to be alert for any form of act that has the potential of threatening the security and peace of this country after the ruling.

We finally appeal to the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to fast track their investigation into the seventy seven schools whose results have been withheld for examination misconduct so that the innocent ones can meet the deadline for the sale of forms for awaiting students into tertiary institutions.

Thank You

Signed

Ali Tanti Robert Badini Mustapha Al-hassan

Executive Director Communication Director

0246486740, 0206125181 0244450060, 0207510294

Youth Alliance for Development is a youth NGO oriented towards empowerment, research, advocacy, education, and skills development of young people.